


Pains are made bearable by others

by LapizSilkwood



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/F, Pupcake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 16:44:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10469574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapizSilkwood/pseuds/LapizSilkwood
Summary: One-shot. Delia gets suspended from the maternity ward. Basically a silly excuse to have Patsy comfort Delia for once and not the other way around. Set after 6x02.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I’m ignoring the whole “Patsy is going to see her father” storyline here. I’m French and I am not a nurse/midwife, so I apologize for any mistakes in my writing and in the story itself in regards to medical stuff.

Delia came back to Nonnatus House after a long shift in the maternity ward. And as she learned at the end of the day, maybe her last. She still couldn't believe it. She had been suspended until further notice. Matron’s words were still echoing in her head. She had always been a professional and considered herself a good nurse. After her experience helping to deliver a baby on the phone she found herself wanting to specialize in midwifery and that's why she asked to be assigned in the maternity ward while she studied to be a midwife. And everything had been going well until a few weeks ago. 

She still couldn't comprehend what had gone so wrong. They had had a dwarf mother who delivered a normal sized baby and Delia couldn't bear the idea that she was studied like a specimen instead of being treated like a human being and a new mother. So she stepped up and defended her patient’s right to privacy. The consultant had clearly said he was going to report this to M. Simkins. But she wasn't worried, her patients’ well-being came first. Clearly, she should have been worried or at least been more careful. The next day she received a warning from the Matron saying that it wasn't her role to interfere like that and that she should stick to nursing. She tried to explain herself but it was no use. The matron just told her that this was the first and last warning. She said she understood. She hated how powerful the consultants could be sometimes. 

And yesterday she screwed up again. Everyone knew of the rule “no talking to a consultant unless you were spoken to first”. And Delia, despite her petite size could be quite headstrong when she knew she was right and someone else was in the wrong. M. Simkins had come for a consult and Delia was with the patient when he explained the procedure. Since she had been studying rather intently to pass the midwife exam, she was almost caught up with all the different kinds of procedure. And she thought his approach to this particular case was wrong and could have serious consequences for the mother and her baby. So she didn’t think and she interrupted the consultant in front of the patient and the junior doctors. They all looked at her as if she had lost her mind. She went head to head with him trying to make him see her point of view. But of course, the consultants here weren't used to being contradicted, especially not by nurses. So he made a complaint against her to the matron and because she didn't want any trouble with the consultants, she decided to suspend Delia until further notice. Just like that. 

It had happened so quickly she was still in a state of shock as she made her way from the hospital to Nonnatus House. When she arrived, she was grateful not to see anyone. She couldn't bear facing anyone at the moment. It was late so they were either sleeping or on call. She hurried to her room and closed the door behind her. She was feeling so disoriented and wished Patsy was here to anchor her. But she didn't dare go into her room, she was feeling ashamed of what had happened and she didn't know how she could tell her she had been suspended. And she didn’t know if Trixie was on call or not so she couldn’t risk it anyway.  
She changed into her pyjamas (Patsy's pyjamas actually) and slipped under the blanket hoping the exhaustion would help her sleep right away. 

But obviously her mind was still racing over today's event and sleep wasn't so easy to come. Lost in her thoughts, she doesn't hear the door of her bedroom open and close. A few seconds later, she heard "Delia?" whispered in a worried voice. Her eyes opened at the sound of Patsy’s voice but she didn’t move. She didn’t want Pats to come any closer because she knew that she would start crying if she did. So she closed her eyes again and pretended to be asleep. Maybe the night would wash the shame away?

But Patsy sat down on the bed and touched her girlfriend’s shoulder gently to see if she was awake. The touch was so sweet and full of concern that Delia felt guilty for pretending to be asleep. She turned to face the redheaded woman. As expected, as soon as she looked at Patsy’s worried face, her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled. The taller woman reacted instantly by taking her into her arms and softly rubbing Delia’s back as she sobbed into her girlfriend's chest.

Despite being a nurse, Patsy is not really good at comforting people. And she has rarely seen the Welsh girl cry like this. But it's her Delia. The same girl who had held her and comforted her so many times before, whether it was after an emotional day with a patient or a nightmare like she had every so often about the camp. She owed it to her to be there and to try. So she did her best. 

"It's okay darling, I'm here."

After a while when the crying had subsided and Delia seemed calmer, Patsy tried to lighten the mood. 

"I was wondering where my pyjamas had gone. I should have guessed a thief had stolen them." 

Delia smiled apologetically at her girlfriend. Patsy looked down on her and her heart broke to see the woman she loved with tears rolling down her face. She hated to see her so sad. She wiped the tears from her lover's face and kissed her on the cheeks before asking what had happened. 

“What’s wrong, love?”

After crying so much, the brunette felt exhausted and she wasn't sure she had the energy to get into it. So she pleaded with Patsy to understand that she didn't want to talk about it because she was too tired. Patsy was worried but she didn't push. She did insist to stay with her for the night and Delia was all too happy to agree. 

They settled in their favourite sleeping position: Delia with her back against Patsy's chest, the redhead with one arm under her lover’s neck and the other holding her close and their legs intertwined. Feeling safe and warm in her lover's embrace, Delia fell asleep quickly. 

They both woke up before everyone was awake. The habit of having to sneak back to their respective rooms had rubbed off on their sleeping patterns. Delia felt better than last night but she knew today was going to be tough. She had to tell what happened to Patsy and maybe even to the nuns. Everyone would see she wasn’t at work today and having to admit that she had been suspended made her feel anxious.

They had woken up their backs to each other so Patsy rolled over but Delia didn't move. She knew Deels was awake so she kissed her head and hugged her from behind to let her know she was here. Patsy was worried. It wasn't like Delia at all to close herself away. If she were honest it was more like her. She didn't know why Delia was in such a state last night but she had never seen her like that. Not even after the death of a patient. Delia wasn't one to showcase her emotions so something must be very wrong.

“You should go back to your bed before Trixie and the others wake up.” Delia whispered.  
Patsy looked at the clock. There was still time.  
“I will go soon but Deels, will you tell me what happened yesterday? I hate seeing you like this.” Patsy didn’t want to push her but if she didn’t know what was wrong she would worry all day and imagine the worst.

Delia sighed and turned to face her girlfriend. She knew all of her faces and loved them because she was the only one who got to know them all. But seeing her so worried made her feel bad. 

“I got suspended from the maternity ward.” 

The words hung in the air and despite her shock, Patsy said nothing and waited for Delia to explain. 

“Do you remember last week when Mrs Reed was holding her baby and the junior doctors arrived to observe her? I told them that she wasn’t a specimen but a mother?”  
When she saw Patsy nod she continued.  
“Well, he did tell Mr Simkins. Who gave me a warning. I didn’t feel it would have any consequences of course, I was just defending my patient.”

Patsy knew that. Delia and she were very similar in that regard. They both cared very deeply for their patient and would do anything for them. 

“But yesterday was a long day and you know the rule “don’t talk to the consultants until spoken to first” rule? Long story short, I didn’t follow it because I w as in disagreement with Mr Simkins and since it wasn’t my first warning, he made a complaint against me and the matron suspended me until further notice.” She concluded sadly. 

Patsy was indignant. She couldn’t believe her Delia would be suspended for something so stupid. She was an excellent nurse. Patsy had always been proud of her. 

“That is utterly ridiculous. I will go talk to Matron this afternoon and believe me, you will get your job back.”

Delia smiled at that. Her own knight in shining armour. Seeing the resolve in her lover’s eyes, her trouble seem to evaporate right away. It might be hard arguing given the seniority of the consultant but she didn't harm any patient. Maybe if she just apologized and promised it wouldn't happen again, they would overlook her transgression? No matter what happened she wasn't alone. She had an amazing (if secret) girlfriend who would do anything for her. She could just imagine Patsy going head to head with the consultant to defend her and it made her heart burst with love and pride. 

"I’d love to see you defend my honour but I don't think it will be necessary Pats.” She said, still smiling at the thought. “Maybe just apologizing and saying I’ll never do it again will be enough." 

Patsy was happy to see her girlfriend smile but she pouted a bit because she really wanted to help. 

“Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be glad to fight anyone who thinks you aren’t a great nurse.”

Delia laughed and grabbed Patsy by the collar of her pyjamas to kiss her. It started as a sweet kiss, both smiling into each other’s lips. But the Welsh girl wanted more, so she deepened the kiss and put her hand in Patsy’s hair to try and bring her closer to her. She wanted to show her how grateful she was to have her in her life. Patsy was welcoming the kiss and pulled her waist closer to her. They were both lost in each other when they heard the noise of a door closing. They both pulled back quickly to check it wasn’t Delia’s bedroom door. Thankfully no one was watching them so they looked at each other and giggled, relieved. 

“Well, that’s my clue. I should get back to my room before anyone else wakes up.”  
“Yes you should Pats, I’m sorry I kept you. I’ll see you later?”  
“You’re positive you don’t need me to go to the hospital on your behalf? I promise I won’t beat anyone up.”  
“Silly ! No I will figure it out Pats, don’t worry about me. You have your shift soon and you don’t want to be late and incur the wrath of Nurse Crane, do you?”

Patsy laughed properly at this because despite Nurse Crane’s brusque exterior she was a sweetheart and the redhead was very fond of her. She kissed Delia one last time and left the room as silently as she could to go back to her bedroom like she had done many times before.  
Delia was still smiling when the door closed and she felt so much better than the previous night. A night with the girl of her dreams and she had forgotten why she was so upset last night. Everything is better when you aren’t alone. She didn’t know if she would get her job back but she knew that no matter what she’d be okay. She had Patsy.

_“However great the scale of injury or loss, our frailties and pains are made bearable by others. Their thoughts, their deeds, their reaching out. Their love and our endurance make us human and complete.”_

**Author's Note:**

> The quote at the end is from the show, I love it so much and I thought it would fit but of course I didn't write it. Don't hesitate to comment and tell me what you think :)


End file.
